In Spring 2017, New York Writers Workshop launches into the online workshop world. The first offering is my course, Developing Fiction: A Workshop in Narrative Prose. It challenges the experienced, and it nurtures the beginner. It provides instruction and feedback in... read more

I came across this YouTube video of John Lennon’s 18 most hated Beatles’ songs. This is my take on his take. What’s yours? “A Taste of Honey”: yes, piece of crap. C-. “It’s Only Love”: wrong, love it, even the tremelo’d guitar that made Lennon... read more

Six Mondays, 7:00 – 9:00 PM Feb 6, 13, 20, March 6, 13, 20 This is a workshop in prose fiction (it also accommodates memoir). I’ll begin each session with a craft talk based on published samples of prose, concerning various modes (flash, story, novel) and... read more

I was lucky enough to be mentored by Tim Tomlinson at the recent New York Writers Workshop Pitch Conference at the South Australian Writers Centre in July 2015. I found Tim’s advice and critique of my pitch invaluable. His expertise in this field, his gentle humour, patience and insight allowed me to trust his advice straight away, to take it on board and to use it. The Pitch Conference gave me a deeper insight into the nature of writer-publisher interaction and allowed me to develop and practice my pitch to three top Australian publishers. I was challenged to view my novel in the context of marketing it to Australian publishers and book-buyers; an exercise which doesn’t come naturally to me, but which Tim somehow made fun. I also gained a much broader knowledge of who my local contemporaries are, and what they are writing. Writing is a solitary craft, and I got an enormous buzz out of spending three days with other writers, under the auspices of SAWC and NYWW. If you’re able to get to a Pitch Conference in your area, don’t hesitate – I thoroughly recommend it to you.

– Rebecca Edwards, Adelaide, South Australia

Working with Tim Tomlinson has been an invaluable learning experience. I have learned so much from his expertise, and gained immeasurably from his experience, enthusiasm and generosity. Tim has shown us not only how to perfect our work but also how to best present it to capture the audience’s attention. Our successes at the Adelaide Pitch Conference would have not been possible without Tim’s support and guidance.

– Thu Hoang, Adelaide, South Australia

Tim Tomlinson of New York Writers Workshop will first win your trust with his light spirit and engaged presence. He listens, processes through his huge mental archive room of books and writers for the perfect reference and then delivers his direction with the precision of a master dart man’s bullseye not just towards what your MS needs, but what your soul needs to get the work done. The spirit of a true teacher and mentor lives in this man.

– Popi Laudico, Manila, Philippines

He’s pure evil, that Tim Tomlinson! We read our pitches to him and it’s Cut, Cut! So we cut, and rewrite. Cut again, he urges. This goes on all weekend, but you know what?

Under Tim’s guidance, as our pitches get shorter they get punchier, and we understand better what we’re selling to editors. 65% success rate can’t be bad. Trust him. He knows publishing.

– Ruth Starke, Adelaide Pitch Conference, July 2015

Attending the New York Writers Workshop, facilitated by Tim and Deedle Tomlinson, jump-started and reinforced my passion to write. The Workshops were handled with care and support for a fledgling writer like myself. Tim is an erudite writer who does not tear your manuscripts to shreds; he works with participants through the humps and hiccups in the writing process. He is able to spot the strengths of your manuscript and guides you on how to make your writing better.

– Rudi Tabora, Baguio, Philippines

Tim Tomlinson is a great mentor; he listens so well, he is sharp, he hones in straight away on the selling points of your story, he somehow manages to clarify what you are confused about by asking exactly the right questions! Then after a huge day of listening and commenting and shaping and structuring he offers for you to email him a reworked version of your pitch, that same night, ready for the publishers the next day! As a group we felt very supported through the whole process and came away with an enhanced appreciation of the core qualities of our own work. A very worthwhile experience, thank you Tim!

– Jane Turner Goldsmith, Adelaide Pitch conference, July 2015

I attended a Writer’s Pitch workshop held here in Adelaide, Australia, in July 2015. I was fortunate to be put in a group of over a dozen aspiring writers led by Tim Tomlinson, of New York Writers Workshop. In retrospect, maybe only 1 or 2 of the group had a marketable pitch when we began. Then, 24 hours later we were pitching our books to senior editors from major publishing firms, with some success. I was extremely impressed by Tim’s ability to manage and improve so many disparate ideas (and understand our strange accents too!) having only flown into town. Tim is a consummate professional with a proven ability to add-value to your work.

– Peter Ingman, Adelaide, South Australia

At the beginning of the Pitch Conference, we were merely humble writers with stories. But by the end, we’d transformed into passionate storytellers, able to speak about our work with the confidence and clarity that made the publishers want to know more.

– Liana Skrzypczak, Adelaide, South Australia

I like the way Tim guides us to opening doors, then we see there’s lots on the other side to draw from. Very encouraging, makes you want to keep on writing.

– Baboo Mondonedo, Baguio, Philippines

The New York Writers Workshop [at Ayala Museum] helped me create new work, just when I thought I had nothing more to squeeze out of myself at the time. Tim is an excellent teacher, and gives good feedback that gets your creative mind working again, and the bottomless coffee and the veggie sandwiches weren’t too bad either.